Editorial
by fierce-vanity
Summary: The Sylar case had always been kept under wraps until he made it personal. R


The black ink became fuzzy as she stared at her desk, drumming her thumb against the wood tediously.

"You need to go home." An astringent voice sounded in front of her, and she tiredly lifted her gaze to the sound. Anthony stood in front of her desk, adding to his statement, "You're getting married in 2 days. I'm pretty sure Daniel wants to see his fiancé before then." Jocelyn pulled a few strands of golden locks behind her ear, rolling her eyes.

Anthony laughed at her expression, and scoffed mockingly, "The poor guy barely sees you to begin with, and I can't imagine how it's going to be when you two are married." He watched as she gathered up her folders, stuffing them into her bag as she added, amused, "What makes you think anything will change?" She closed her bag and threw it over her shoulder, giving him a coy smile.

"How romantic." He stated, letting her walk out into the hallway as he followed along. She stopped at the elevator, pushing the button with a manicured finger, "Besides, he's so engrossed in his job; I doubt he even notices I'm gone." She gave him a half-smile as the elevator doors closed between them and she lowered to the ground floor.

Fiddling with her bag, she walked out into the main lobby, turning the corner towards the entrance.

---

Daniel Ackers. Prosecution Attorney. No wife. No kids.

The man was so wrapped up in his over-indulgent life for anyone to notice his death. Or care. Sylar kneeled in the shadows, peering through the window at the man in his late 20's, thumbing through a large folder. Straightening up, he walked into the moonlight, locating the electric box. He placed his hand against the metal casing, sending the shock of freezing temperatures through its circuits as the lights instantly cut off.

He walked back to the window. Gazing through the glass, he watched his victim curse under his breath as he located a flash light and lit a candle, returning back to his work without a worry. Flicking a finger to the right, the window latch unlocked and he slid the glass up silently, slipping inside.

Keeping his footsteps as light as possible, Sylar maneuvered through the kitchen, passing through the large archway leading into the great room. His fingers traced across the rough edges of a clay pot that sat on a table, perfecting the décor of the room.

"Nice place." His voice hinted in deep tones, lifting his gaze from the pot as the man jump up from the couch and whiz around. Folders and pamphlets fell to the ground in the dimmed light and he stammered, "Who the hell ar…" He stopped when he noticed Sylar lift up his hand to silence him.

"Ability. You have it, I want it." He kept in the shadows, responding bluntly. "Let's not make this harder than it's already going to be."

The young man hesitated, glancing at the phone before straightening up and replying, slightly defiant, "I don't know what you're talking about." He glared at Sylar, hoping he would assure him that he wasn't one to be messed with but the intruder laughed.

He shot out his hand, Daniel's body becoming rigid, his hand grasping at his throat, as he lifted him up off the ground, "Remember now?" Sylar walked up, stepping over the mess of paper until he was close enough to wrap his hand around his throat, applying pressure to his windpipe.

Sylar wasn't expecting what would happen. Daniel gasped for breath but managed to throw his fist into his jaw. Sylar released him, stumbling back from the blow, but he quickly recovered, returning his punch with knuckles in the side of his neck. Daniel doubled over in pain, his attacker regaining his composure as he dabbed at his lip, drawing it back to notice smudges of red.

He had dealt with many people with abilities, and all of them used theirs to the fullest during their confrontations. He didn't imagine he would ever have to use physical force. Was he wrong? Was it possible that he had slipped up and that this man didn't have a power at all. Sylar straightened up, his fist tingling from the aftershocks of his assault.

_No, he was never wrong._

The copper sting of blood mingled on his taste buds, watching Daniel pull his body upright. He showed a bloody grin as the man swung another fist at him, halting his attack and keeping a cold stare on his face.

Loosening the grasp on his hand, Sylar sent his body crashing into the wall, the sound of breaking bones singing in his ears. "Do we really have to keep this up?" he asked in sadistic amusement, slowly striding up to his crumbled form.

He was mere inches from him when a translucent shield surrounded Daniel's body, blocking his attacker from advancing. Sylar jerked back, hitting the barrier and smiled. "Useful." He stated, his eyes watching him heave in pain, his protection rippling in defeat.

Extending his arm, he placed his palm against the blockade, feeling the energy disintegrate beneath his fingertips. Sylar's mouth curled into an accomplished grin, until the shield re-enforced itself, its maker pushing himself up from his trampled heap. His hand flew back and he growled.

_Why do they always fight back_

He preferred his victims to succumb to their inevitable downfall. Making them believe that their demise was part of the grand design. Most were broken, and that just wasn't acceptable. They needed to be disposed, they held no purpose to him; just a host for what rightfully was his. If he believed in anything, it was that principle.

He was never much of a religious person; his faith in God had dwindled ever since he was young. If God wasn't there for him then, he certainly wasn't there for him now. He glanced back down, watching the force field increase in size and intensity.

_Always fighting back._

Not that he minded a little aggression; he was, after all, taking their life. They had the right to defend themselves; but he was getting impatient. He didn't have time for this.

Glaring down at him, he focused his concentration towards his skull, pulling it up as it slammed against his own protection. The force of the blow killed the man instantly, blood flowing down his face in deep red streaks, as his body fell to the ground with a loud thud.

The shield weakened immediately, shimmering around his body until it completely disappeared. Sylar kneeled down, satisfaction plastered on his face as he traced his finger across Daniel's forehead. The skin separated, slicing deep into his skull and Sylar placed his other hand above his ear, blood seeping through his fingers.

He retracted his hand, gazing upon a myriad of potential. Blood stained the skin of his arms as he continued to observe the inner workings of his brain. He pushed back against the wall, his back making contact with the wood panels. Sighing as he examined his palms in the dark, curling his hands in a fist around his new prized possession.

---

Her hand rose in the crisp air, hailing a taxi cab. The yellow car pulled up to the curb and she slid into the back seat, telling the driver her destination. The cab maneuvered back onto the street and Jocelyn leaned back into the seat, closing her eyes for a moment.

Opening them back up, she stared down at her left hand, a bright diamond sparkling back at her. She scoffed, it used to mean something, but now it just held empty memories. She loved her fiancé, but she didn't love what he had become in the past 4 months. Ever since he had gotten that job at the firm, things between them had changed. He didn't notice her, keeping to his work for long hours into the night. She hated to admit it, but she preferred to be at work then at home.

The taxi came to a stop and Jocelyn shook her head lightly, handing the driver some money. Climbing out of the car, she pulled her bag over her shoulder and walked through the large glass doors into the marble lobby. She absent-mindedly entered the elevator, pushing the button indicating the 9th floor, as it rumbled softly, lifting to her destination.

A harsh ding rang in her ears and the doors opened to a tiled hallway. Jocelyn walked out, turning the corner and heading towards her condominium. Unlocking the door, she secretly hoped he would be asleep, as the door opened to a dark great room. She narrowed her eyes, fumbling around for the switch.

When the lights didn't turn on, she followed a dim glow emitting from the other room. Her heels clicked against the wood flooring, adjusting her eyes to the darkness until she rounded the corner to the living room. She continued on, reaching her hand out in front of her, her fingers grazing a clothed surface.

Sylar stood in front of her, his eyes never wavering from her face. It was too dark in the room for them to see either of their features, and Jocelyn retracted her hand, giving Sylar the opportunity to back up unnoticed. She stepped out but slipped on the floor, catching herself as she squinted through the dark at the ground.

Backing away, Sylar quietly made his way to the window, slipping through without a sound. He climbed down the fire escape, the metallic clang muffling the screams that blazed in his ears as he jumped to the ground below.


End file.
